Methods, systems, and computer program products to enable virtual card present status for a shopper based on purchase history

ABSTRACT

A method includes performing operations as follows on at least one processor: receiving credentials from a shopper, the credentials being associated with a purchase from a merchant, evaluating a history of purchases by the shopper from the merchant, determining that the shopper is entitled to virtual card present status from a financial institution based on evaluating the history of purchases, and sending a payment authorization request message for the purchase to the financial institution that comprises an indication that the shopper is entitled to virtual card present status.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to retailing methods, systems, andcomputer program products involving the sale of goods and/or services toa shopper and, more particularly, to methods, systems, and computerprogram products for processing payment when goods and/or services arepurchased by a shopper.

Retailers with brick and mortar stores typically have checkout lanes orcheckout locations where shoppers present their items or identify one ormore services that they wish to purchase. Shoppers typically pay fortheir purchases using cash, gift card, debit card, credit card, orcharge card, which may be issued through the retailer, bank, or othertype of financial institution. With the proliferation of intelligentmobile devices, shoppers may use a digital wallet to pay for purchasesboth on-line and in a retail store environment. A digital wallet refersto an electronic device that can communicate payment information to themerchant. The payment information may include identification informationfor checking accounts, debit card accounts, credit card accounts,pre-paid gift cards, and the like. In addition to including paymentinformation, a digital wallet may also include information that can beused to authenticate a user's identity. For example, a digital walletmay include such information as a shopper's driver's license, insuranceinformation, store loyalty card(s), store/bank reward(s) accounts, andthe like. A shopper's identification credentials along with a desiredpayment account can be transferred to a merchant using a bar codescanner, Near Field Communication (NFC), Short Message Service (SMS),Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other suitable technology. A digital wallet mayinclude security software to encrypt the financial information andpersonal identity information used during a transaction. Applicationdevelopers have developed digital wallet applications that run onvarious types of smartphone platforms; such as the iOS and Androidplatforms.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments of the inventive subject matter, a method comprisesreceiving credentials from a shopper, the credentials being associatedwith a purchase from a merchant, evaluating a history of purchases bythe shopper from the merchant, determining that the shopper is entitledto virtual card present status from a financial institution based onevaluating the history of purchases, and sending a payment authorizationrequest message for the purchase to the financial institution thatcomprises an indication that the shopper is entitled to virtual cardpresent status.

In other embodiments, the credentials comprise a loyalty program accountidentification.

In still other embodiments, evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining how long the shopper has participated in a loyaltyprogram with the merchant.

In still other embodiments, evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining monetary transaction amounts for prior purchases.

In still other embodiments, evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining whether the shopper has returned items previouslypurchased.

In still other embodiments, evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining the times of day prior purchases were made.

In still other embodiments, evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining whether a home address is available for theshopper.

In still other embodiments, evaluating the history of purchasescomprises evaluating a history of purchases by the shopper from aplurality of merchants.

In further embodiments of the inventive subject matter, a methodcomprises receiving credentials from a shopper, the credentials beingassociated with a purchase from a first merchant, evaluating a historyof purchases by the shopper from a plurality of merchants, the pluralityof merchants comprising the first merchant, and generating a financialrisk score for the shopper based on evaluating the history of purchasesby the shopper and the purchase from the first merchant.

Other methods, systems, articles of manufacture, and/or computer programproducts according to embodiments of the inventive subject matter willbe or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon review of thefollowing drawings and detailed description. It is intended that allsuch additional systems, methods, articles of manufacture, and/orcomputer program products be included within this description, be withinthe scope of the present inventive subject matter, and be protected bythe accompanying claims Moreover, it is intended that all embodimentsdisclosed herein can be implemented separately or combined in any wayand/or combination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features of exemplary embodiments will be more readily understoodfrom the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereofwhen read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a cloud computing paradigm;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates a virtualized computingenvironment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates a cloud computingenvironment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram that illustrates a system for managingpayments in financial transactions according to some embodiments of theinventive subject matter;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a data processing system thatmay be used in embodiments of the digital promotions network of FIG. 4in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive subject matter;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates a software/hardwarearchitecture for a digital promotions network server in accordance withsome embodiments of the inventive subject matter;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates a data processing system thatmay be used in embodiments of the payments system of FIG. 4 inaccordance with some embodiments of the inventive subject matter;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram that illustrates a software/hardwarearchitecture for a payments systems server in accordance with someembodiments of the inventive subject matter; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart that illustrates operations to enable virtual cardpresent status for a shopper based on purchase history according to someembodiments of the inventive subject matter; and

FIGS. 10-11 are flowcharts that illustrate operations for generating arisk score for a shopper based on purchase history according to someembodiments of the inventive subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentdisclosure may be illustrated and described herein in any of a number ofpatentable classes or contexts including any new and useful process,machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and usefulimprovement thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure maybe implemented entirely hardware, entirely software (including firmware,resident software, micro-code, etc.) or combining software and hardwareimplementation that may all generally be referred to herein as a“circuit,” “module,” “component,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects ofthe present disclosure may take the form of a computer program productcomprising one or more computer readable media having computer readableprogram code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be used. Thecomputer readable media may be a computer readable signal medium or acomputer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium maybe, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or anysuitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (anon-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium wouldinclude the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an appropriateoptical fiber with a repeater, a portable compact disc read-only memory(CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or anysuitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document,a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that cancontain, or store a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program codeembodied on a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted usingany appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline,optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of theforegoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent disclosure may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET,Python or the like, conventional procedural programming languages, suchas the “C” programming language, Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL2002, PHP, ABAP, dynamic programming languages such as Python, Ruby andGroovy, or other programming languages. The program code may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider) or in a cloud computing environment or offered as aservice such as a Software as a Service (SaaS).

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of thedisclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable instruction executionapparatus, create a mechanism for implementing the functions/actsspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that when executed can direct a computer, otherprogrammable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function ina particular manner, such that the instructions when stored in thecomputer readable medium produce an article of manufacture includinginstructions which when executed, cause a computer to implement thefunction/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or otherdevices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on thecomputer, other programmable apparatuses or other devices to produce acomputer implemented process such that the instructions which execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter are described herein withrespect to computing resources being provided by a computing resourceprovider. As used herein, a computing resource may include, but is notlimited to, a virtual machine, a computer processor, a data storageelement, such as a memory, a database, a communication medium, a switch,a router, a data center, a host processor/system, a cluster, anapplication, a hypervisor, a host operating system, a guest operatingsystem, and the like. It will be further understood that a computingresource may include portions of the aforementioned elements, forexample. In this regard, a computing resource may comprise a time sliceof a virtual machine or processor, a particular bandwidth of acommunication medium, a portion of a memory, and/or a portion of adatabase.

As used herein, the term “mobile device” may include a satellite orcellular radiotelephone with or without a multi-line display; a PersonalCommunications System (PCS) terminal that may combine a cellularradiotelephone with data processing, facsimile and data communicationscapabilities; a PDA that can include a radiotelephone, pager,Internet/intranet access, Web browser, organizer, calendar and/or aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver; and a conventional laptopand/or palmtop receiver or other appliance that includes aradiotelephone transceiver. A mobile device may also include a frequencymodulated (FM), amplitude modulated (AM), and/or satellite radioreceiver for receiving radio transmissions. Mobile devices may also bereferred to as “pervasive computing” devices.

Some embodiments are described herein in the context of providingcomputing or data processing services via the cloud. Cloud computing isa computing paradigm where shared resources, such as processor(s),software, and information, are provided to computers and other deviceson demand typically over a network, such as the Internet. In a cloudcomputing environment, details of the computing infrastructure, e.g.,processing power, data storage, bandwidth, and/or other resources areabstracted from the user. The user does not need to have any expertisein or control over such computing infrastructure resources. Cloudcomputing typically involves the provision of dynamically scalableand/or virtualized resources over the Internet. A user may access anduse such resources through the use of a Web browser. A typical cloudcomputing provider may provide an online application that can beaccessed over the Internet using a browser. The cloud computingprovider, however, maintains the software for the application and someor all of the data associated with the application on servers in thecloud, i.e., servers that are maintained by the cloud computing providerrather than the users of the application.

As used herein, the terms “promotion” and “offer” mean any type ofinstrument used to add value or an incentive to consumers, wholesalers,retailers, or other type of customer or shopper to stimulate the sale ofa product or service. A promotion or offer may include, but is notlimited to, one or more of a coupon, a rebate, a discount, a reward, aprice reduction, points (e.g., credits, miles, etc.) in a rewards orloyalty program, a buy x get y free program, and a sample.

As used herein, “data” means raw, unorganized facts that need to beprocessed. Data can be something simple and seemingly random and uselessuntil it is organized. When data is processed, organized, structured, orpresented in a given context so as to make it useful it is called“information.”

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional cloud service model that includesInfrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), andSoftware as a Service (SaaS). Infrastructure as a Service, deliverscomputer infrastructure—typically a platform virtualizationenvironment—as a service. Rather than purchasing servers, software,data-center space or network equipment, clients instead buy thoseresources as a fully outsourced service. Suppliers typically bill suchservices on a utility computing basis and the amount of resourcesconsumed. Platform as a Service delivers a computing platform as aservice. It provides an environment for the deployment of applicationswithout the need for a client to buy and manage the underlying hardwareand software layers. Software as a Service delivers software servicesover the Internet, which reduces or eliminates the need for the clientto install and run an application on its own computers, which maysimplify maintenance and support.

Virtualized computing environments may be used to provide computingresources to end users. In a cloud computing environment, the physicalhardware configuration is hidden from the end user. Cloud computingsystems may include servers, network storage devices, routers, gateways,communication links, and other devices. Because the physical hardwareand software platforms on which cloud computing system is implementedare hidden within a “cloud,” they can be managed, upgraded, replaced orotherwise changed by a system administrator without the customer beingaware of or affected by the change.

In a typical cloud computing environment, applications may be executedon virtual machines, which are isolated guest operating systemsinstalled within a host system. Virtual machines are typicallyimplemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization,or both. A single hardware and/or software platform may host a number ofvirtual machines, each of which may have access to some portion of theplatform's resources, such as processing resources, storage resources,etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates a server system 100 for a virtualized computingenvironment in which the inventive subject matter of the presentdisclosure can function. The server system 100 generally hosts one ormore virtual machines 104 (hereafter virtual machine 104), each of whichruns a guest operating system 106 and application 108. The computingneeds of users 102 drive the functionality of the virtual machines 104.A hypervisor 110 provides an interface between the virtual machines 104and a host operating system 112 and allows multiple guest operatingsystems 106 and associated applications 108 to run concurrently. Thehost operating system 112 handles the operations of a hardware platform114 capable of implementing virtual machines 104. A data storage space116 may be accessed by the host operating system 112 and is connected tothe hardware platform 114.

The hardware platform 114 generally refers to any computing systemcapable of implementing virtual machines 104, which may include, withoutlimitation, a mainframe, personal computer (PC), micro-computer,handheld computer, mobile computing platform, server, or any otherappropriate computer hardware. The hardware platform 114 may includecomputing resources, such as a central processing unit (CPU); networkingcontrollers; communication controllers; a display unit; a program anddata storage device; memory controllers; input devices (e.g., akeyboard, a mouse, etc.) and output devices, such as printers. The CPUmay be any processor capable of supporting virtualization.

The hardware platform 114 may be further connected to the data storagespace 116 through serial or parallel connections. The data storage space116 may be any suitable device capable of storing computer-readable dataand instructions, and it may include logic in the form of softwareapplications, random access memory (RAM), or read only memory (ROM),removable media, or any other suitable memory component. According tothe illustrated embodiment, the host operating system 112 stands betweenthe hardware platform 114 and the users 102 and is responsible for themanagement and coordination of activities and the sharing of thecomputing resources. Although some embodiments of the computer system100 can be configured to operate as a computer server, the computersystem 100 is not limited thereto and can be configured to provide otherfunctionality, such as data processing, communications routing, etc.

Besides acting as a host for computing applications that run on thehardware platform 114, the host operating system 112 may operate at thehighest priority level in the server 100, executing instructionsassociated with the hardware platform 114, and it may have exclusiveprivileged access to the hardware platform 114. The priority andprivileged access of hardware resources affords the host operatingsystem 112 exclusive control over resources and instructions, and maypreclude interference with the execution of different applicationprograms. The hypervisor 110 creates an environment for implementing avirtual machine, hosting the “guest” virtual machine. One host operatingsystem 112 is capable of implementing multiple isolated virtual machinessimultaneously.

A hypervisor 110 (which may also be known as a machine monitor or VMM)runs on the host operating system 112 and provides an interface betweenthe virtual machines 104 and the hardware platform 114 through the hostoperating system 112. The hypervisor 110 virtualizes the computingsystem resources and facilitates the operation of the virtual machines104. The hypervisor 110 may provide the illusion of operating at thehighest priority level to the guest operating systems 106. Thehypervisor 110 maps the guest operating system's priority level to apriority level lower than the top most priority level. As a result, thehypervisor 110 can intercept the guest operating system 106 to executeinstructions that require virtualization assistance. Alternatively, thehypervisor 110 may emulate or actually execute the instructions onbehalf of the guest operating system 106. Software operations permittingindirect interaction between the guest operating system 106 and thephysical hardware platform 114 are also performed by the hypervisor 110.

Virtual machines 104 present a virtualized environment to guestoperating systems 106, which in turn provide an operating environmentfor applications 108 and other software constructs.

The foregoing description with respect to FIG. 2 of a virtualizedcomputing environment uses a Type 2 or hosted hypervisor 110, which runswithin a conventional operating system environment. In thisconfiguration, the hypervisor layer is disposed between the hostoperating system and one or more guest operating systems. It will beunderstood that the hypervisor can also be implemented as a Type 1hypervisor, which may be called a native or bare metal hypervisor. AType 1 hypervisor runs directly on the host's hardware to control thehardware and manage guest operating systems. Thus, a Type 1 hypervisorlayer is disposed between the hardware and one or more guest operatingsystems. In accordance with various embodiments of the present inventiveconcept, a Type 1 or a Type 2 hypervisor can be used to implement avirtualized computing environment.

Referring to FIG. 3, a virtualized computing environment 200 (referredto generally as cloud 200) may include one or more server systems 100that may include one or more electronic computing devices operable toreceive, transmit, process, and store data. For example, the servers inthe cloud 200 may include one or more general-purpose PCs, Macintoshes,micro-computers, workstations, Unix-based computers, server computers,one or more server pools, or any other suitable devices. In certainembodiments, the cloud 200 may include a web server. In short, the cloud200 may include any suitable combination of software, firmware, andhardware.

The cloud 200 may include a plurality of server systems 100 that arecommunicatively coupled via a network 112. The network 112 facilitateswireless or wireline communication, and may communicate using, forexample, IP packets, Frame Relay frames, Asynchronous Transfer Mode(ATM) cells, voice, video, data, and other suitable information betweennetwork addresses. The network 112 may include one or more local areanetworks (LANs), radio access networks (RANs), metropolitan areanetworks (MANS), wide area networks (WANs), all or a portion of theglobal computer network known as the Internet, and/or any othercommunication system or systems at one or more locations. Althoughreferred to herein as “server systems,” it will be appreciated that anysuitable computing device may be used.

Virtual machines and/or other objects in a virtualization environmentcan be grouped into logical clusters for management and/or operationalpurposes. For example, virtual machines can be grouped into clustersbased on load balancing needs, security needs, redundancy needs, or anyother needs as determined by a system administrator. The virtualmachines grouped within a cluster may or may not all be implemented on asingle physical server. Any desired number of clusters can be definedsubject to system limitations, and each of the clusters can include anydesired number of virtual machines subject to server limitations.

Virtual machines can be deployed in particular virtualizationenvironments and organized to increase the efficiency of operatingand/or managing a virtual computing environment. For example, virtualmachines may be grouped into clusters to provide load balancing acrossmultiple servers.

Virtual machines within a same cluster can be managed by a singlevirtualization environment manager to have the same or similar resourceaccess privileges (e.g., processor utilization, priority, memoryallocation, communication interface access privileges, etc.), whilevirtual machines within different clusters can have different resourceaccess privileges.

Virtual machines that are deployed within a single cluster may sharephysical resources within a server. For example, virtual machines thatare deployed within a single cluster may share physical memory, storage,communication facilities and other resources or services of a server.Whenever computing resources are shared, there is the possibility thatone virtual machine could intentionally or unintentionally gain accessto data of another virtual machine.

Some embodiments are described herein with respect to receivingcredentials from a shopper who is making a purchase with a merchant soas to be able to identify the shopper and review the shopper's purchasehistory with respect to the present merchant and, in some embodiments,other merchants. Based on the shopper's purchase history, the shoppermay be entitled to virtual card present status even though the shoppermay not have the credit instrument present at the transaction. Virtualcard present status is advantageous in that it allows for more favorablecredit terms for the transaction than would otherwise be available. Apayment authorization request message may be sent to a financialinstitution indicating that the shopper is entitled to virtual cardpresent status when seeking payment approval from the financialinstitution. In other embodiments, a financial risk score may begenerated based on the shopper's purchase history, which has beenaggregated across multiple merchants. As the shopper buys in positive orlow risk patterns the shopper's score may be modified to reflect areduced financial risk whereas when the shopper buys in negative or highrisk patterns the shopper's score may be modified to reflect a greaterfinancial risk. The financial risk score may be provided to the currentmerchant participating in the purchase transaction with the shopperalong with other merchants and financial institutions. These entitiesmay use the financial risk score in determining whether to authorizepayment for future purchases by the shopper.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram that illustrates a system for managingpayments in financial transactions according to some embodiments of theinventive subject matter. The system comprises a Point Of Sale (POS)system 410 that may be operated, for example, in the store of a retaileror merchant. The POS system 410 may include a cash register that ismanaged by an attendant or may be a self-checkout register. The POSsystem 410 may be configured to scan products and read product codes.For example, the POS system 410 can be configured to read a UPC productbar code and/or a QR code. In some embodiments, the POS system 410 canbe configured to scan and read other identifiers (i.e., codes)representative of a product. Once the products are scanned and read, thePOS system 410 can be configured to generate transaction data and toreceive payment associated with the products and/or services listed inthe transaction data. The POS system 410 may receive payment from ashopper in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, cash, creditcard, debit card, gift card, loyalty card, and reward card.

A shopper may provide payment information to the POS system 410 using amobile device 415 that may include links to financial accounts thereonand/or data identifying various financial accounts, such as credit cardaccounts, store credit accounts, debit card accounts, checking accounts,loyalty program accounts, rewards accounts, and the like. The mobiledevice 415 may also include identification credentials, such as a photoidentification, driver's license, passport, insurance card, home and/orwork address information, home and/or work telephone numbers, and thelike. In some embodiments, the financial information and/or personalidentification information may be managed using a digital walletapplication residing on the phone or in a cloud server on the Internetor other network.

The POS system 410 may coupled to a Digital Promotions Network (DPN) 420and a payment system 425 via a network 430. The network 430 may be aglobal network, such as the Internet or other publicly accessiblenetwork. Various elements of the network 430 may be interconnected by awide area network, a local area network, an Intranet, and/or otherprivate network, which may not be accessible by the general public.Thus, the communication network 430 may represent a combination ofpublic and private networks or a virtual private network (VPN). Thenetwork 430 may be a wireless network, a wireline network, or may be acombination of both wireless and wireline networks.

The digital promotions network 420 may be configured to manage loyaltyprograms for retailers, manufacturers, and/or service providers. In someembodiments, the DPN 420 may allow for shoppers to establish accounts onthe DPN 420 via which shoppers can acquire promotions or offers.Retailers, manufacturers, merchants, wholesalers and other merchandiserscan make promotions or offers available to shoppers in a variety ofways. For example, a shopper may acquire a coupon via a circular in thepaper or a mailer and may scan the coupon using the mobile device 415 toadd the coupon to the shopper's account on the DPN 420 via communicationover a wireless network 435 and the network 430. In other embodiments,promotions may be emailed to the user where they may be accepted andadded to the shopper's account on the DPN 420. Promotions may also bedelivered to the shopper through SMS message where they can be acceptedand added to the user's account on the DPN 420. In still otherembodiments, a shopper may use a browser on the mobile device 415 orcomputer 440 to review available offers and select certain offers to beadded to the shopper's account on the DPN 420. It will be understoodthat these examples are for purposes of illustration. A shopper mayacquire promotions or offers in multiple ways in accordance with variousembodiments of the inventive subject matter, which are not limited tothe foregoing examples. The DPN 420 may also manage the expiration ofpromotions or offers to prevent a shopper from redeeming a promotion oroffer that is no longer valid. A shopper may synchronize promotions oroffers stored on the DPN 420 with digital wallet applications, forexample, running on the shopper's digital devices, such as the mobiledevice 415 and the computer 440.

In some embodiments, the DPN 420 may also be used to manage loyaltyprograms for retailers or merchandisers or service providers. As aresult, when a shopper checks out at the POS system 410, the POS system410 may communicate with the DPN 420 to determine if the shopper has anypromotions or offers that may be redeemed based on the content of theitem(s) and/or service(s) being purchased. The POS system 410 may alsoupdate the shopper's loyalty account on the DPN 420 with any rewardspoints, credits, incentives, or other types of offers or promotions thatthe retailer or manufacturer wishes to grant to the shopper. In someembodiments, the offers or promotions presented to a shopper, whether atthe time of check out or any other time, may be based on the shopper'spast purchase history and analytics that indicate that the shopper maybe receptive to offers or promotions of a certain type and/or for acertain product or service. The DPN 420 may have such purchasing historyavailable based on the shopper's purchases outlets both online and atbrick and mortar stores. The DPN 420 may also track and maintain ahistory of shopper behavior with respect to returns, use of credit,redemption of offers and promotions, use of social media to praiseand/or criticize products and services, and other consumer attributes.

The POS system 410 may also communicate with the payment system 425 viathe network 430, which facilitates the processing of payment informationfor the goods and/or services purchased by the shopper. The paymentsystem 425 may communicate with both a credit issuer 445, which mayapprove a shopper's purchase, and the DPN 420 to allow for reducedtransaction risks for a credit issuer 445 and/or retailer and to provideshoppers with an improved purchasing experience with reduced risks offraud and/or identity theft. The payment system 425 and the DPN 420 maycommunicate via the network 430 and/or may communicate directly as partof a common cloud data processing system that provides both DPN andpayment services. The credit issuer 445 may represent any institutionproviding a source of funds for a shopper's financial transactionincluding, but not limited to, banks, credit unions, retailers (e.g.,store credit accounts/charge cards), mobile payment processors, such asPayfone™, and other financial institutions. It will be understood thatthe credit issuer 445 may provide funds both through credit accounts andnon-credit accounts, including a shopper's savings and/or checkingaccount.

Although FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary communication network and anexemplary hardware/software architecture that may be used to facilitatethe payment for goods and/or services purchased by a shopper, it will beunderstood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited tosuch a configuration but are intended to encompass any configurationcapable of carrying out operations as described herein.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of data processingsystems and servers described above with respect to FIG. 4, such as theDPN 420 and the payment system 425, may be written in a high-levelprogramming language, such as Java, C, and/or C++, for developmentconvenience. In addition, computer program code for carrying outoperations of the present invention may also be written in otherprogramming languages, such as, but not limited to, interpretedlanguages. Some modules or routines may be written in assembly languageor even micro-code to enhance performance and/or memory usage.Embodiments described herein, however, are not limited to any particularprogramming language. It will be further appreciated that thefunctionality of any or all of the program modules may also beimplemented using discrete hardware components, one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), or a programmed digital signalprocessor or microcontroller.

FIG. 5 illustrates a data processing system 500 that may be used inembodiments of the DPN 420 in accordance with some embodiments of theinventive subject matter. The data processing system 500 comprises inputdevice(s) 505, such as a keyboard or keypad, a display 510, and a memory515 that communicate with a processor 520. The data processing system500 may further comprise a storage system 525, and an I/O data port(s)535 that also communicate with the processor 520. The storage system 525may include removable and/or fixed media, such as floppy disks, ZIPdrives, hard disks, or the like as well as virtual storage such as aRAMDISK. The I/O data port(s) 535 may be used to transfer informationbetween the data processing system 500 and another computer system or anetwork (e.g., the Internet). These components may be conventionalcomponents, such as those used in many conventional computing devices,and their functionality, with respect to conventional operations, isgenerally known to those skilled in the art. The memory 515 may beconfigured with a digital promotions suite module 540 that may be usedto provide DPN services, such as managing loyalty programs forretailers, manufacturers, and/or service providers, generatingoffers/promotions, handling the redemption of offers/promotions, and/ortracking/analyzing the behavior of shoppers.

FIG. 6 illustrates a processor 600 and memory 605 that may be used inembodiments of data processing systems, such as the data processingsystem 500 of FIG. 5, for providing DPN services in accordance with someembodiments of the inventive subject matter. The processor 600communicates with the memory 605 via an address/data bus 610. Theprocessor 600 may be, for example, a commercially available or custommicroprocessor. The memory 605 is representative of the one or morememory devices containing the software and data used to provisionsoftware in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.The memory 605 may include, but is not limited to, the following typesof devices: cache, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash, SRAM, and DRAM.

As shown in FIG. 6, the memory 605 may contain up to five or morecategories of software and/or data: an operating system 615, a couponsmodule 620, a digital promotions module 625, a rebates module 630, andan analytics module 635. The operating system 615 generally controls theoperation of the data processing system. In particular, the operatingsystem 615 may manage the data processing system's software and/orhardware resources and may coordinate execution of programs by theprocessor 600.

The coupons module 620 may be configured to process coupon redemptionsand facilitate the settlement with the issuing party, such as aretailer, service provider, or manufacturer. The coupons module 620 mayinclude safeguards to facilitate the detection of fraud and suspicioussubmissions. In cooperation with the analytics module 635, the couponsmodule 620 may be used to evaluate the efficacy of coupons in promotingpurchases and design new coupon based marketing campaigns based on suchperformance evaluations.

The digital promotions module 625 may be configured to manage marketingcampaigns involving promotions and/or offers for parties, such asretailers, service providers, and manufacturers including the settlementwith the issuers of such promotions and/or offers when the promotions oroffers are redeemed. The digital promotions module 625 supports multipletypes of offers or promotions and can allow shoppers to maintainaccounts through which promotions or offers can be acquired andredeemed. The digital promotions module 625 can communicate with POSsystems to allow any applicable promotions or offers to be identified toprovide the shopper with the opportunity to redeem the promotions oroffers at checkout. The digital promotions module 625 may cooperate withthe analytics module 635 to evaluate the efficacy of the promotions oroffers in promoting purchases and designing new marketing campaignsbased on promotions or offers in view of the performance of previouscampaigns.

The rebates module 630 may be configured to manage the issuance andredemption of rebates for both retailers and manufacturers includingtraditional mail-in rebates and digital or electronic rebates. Therebates module 630 may be configured with safeguards to detect fraud orimproper submission of rebates, particularly in regulated industries,such as alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals. The rebates module 630may cooperate with the analytics module 635 to evaluate the efficacy ofthe rebates in promoting purchases and designing new marketing campaignsbased on rebates in view of the performance of previous campaigns.

The analytics module 635 may be configured to acquire data based onshopper behavior, including, but not limited to, purchases, returns,offer/promotion acquisition and redemption, social media, and publicrecords, along with data provided by manufacturers, service providers,retailers, and/or financial institutions on product/service marketing,sales, loyalty programs, customer feedback, customer surveys, financinginformation, and the like, which can then be processed by an analyticsengine to better target offers and/or promotions to shoppers andpotential shoppers/customers, develop product/service marketingcampaigns, and/or influence the design of particular products and/orservices to better appeal to customers.

Although FIG. 6 illustrates exemplary hardware/software architecturesthat may be used in data processing systems, such as the data processingsystem 500 of FIG. 5, for providing DPN services, it will be understoodthat the present invention is not limited to such a configuration but isintended to encompass any configuration capable of carrying outoperations described herein. Moreover, the functionality of the dataprocessing system 500 of FIG. 5 and the hardware/software architectureof FIG. 6 may be implemented as a single processor system, amulti-processor system, a multi-core processor system, a network ofstand-alone computer systems, or one or more virtual machines inaccordance with various embodiments.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of data processingsystems discussed above with respect to FIG. 6 may be written in ahigh-level programming language, such as Python, Java, C, and/or C++,for development convenience. In addition, computer program code forcarrying out operations of the present invention may also be written inother programming languages, such as, but not limited to, interpretedlanguages. Some modules or routines may be written in assembly languageor even micro-code to enhance performance and/or memory usage.Embodiments described herein, however, are not limited to any particularprogramming language. It will be further appreciated that thefunctionality of any or all of the program modules may also beimplemented using discrete hardware components, one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), or a programmed digital signalprocessor or microcontroller.

FIG. 7 illustrates a data processing system 700 that may be used inembodiments of the payment system 425 in accordance with someembodiments of the inventive subject matter. The data processing system700 comprises input device(s) 705, such as a keyboard or keypad, adisplay 710, and a memory 715 that communicate with a processor 720. Thedata processing system 700 may further comprise a storage system 725,and an I/O data port(s) 735 that also communicate with the processor720. The storage system 725 may include removable and/or fixed media,such as floppy disks, ZIP drives, hard disks, or the like as well asvirtual storage such as a RAMDISK. The I/O data port(s) 735 may be usedto transfer information between the data processing system 700 andanother computer system or a network (e.g., the Internet). Thesecomponents may be conventional components, such as those used in manyconventional computing devices, and their functionality, with respect toconventional operations, is generally known to those skilled in the art.The memory 715 may be configured with a payments suite module 740 thatmay be used to provide payment services, such as shopper authentication,risk management based on, for example, shopper history and detection ofevaluation of shopper location, and facilitation of various paymentmethods.

FIG. 8 illustrates a processor 800 and memory 805 that may be used inembodiments of data processing systems, such as the data processingsystem 700 of FIG. 5, for providing payment services in accordance withsome embodiments of the inventive subject matter. The processor 800communicates with the memory 805 via an address/data bus 810. Theprocessor 800 may be, for example, a commercially available or custommicroprocessor. The memory 805 is representative of the one or morememory devices containing the software and data used to provisionsoftware in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.The memory 805 may include, but is not limited to, the following typesof devices: cache, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash, SRAM, and DRAM.

As shown in FIG. 8, the memory 805 may contain up to five or morecategories of software and/or data: an operating system 815, anauthentication module 820, a shopper history module 825, a shopperpayment method module 830, and a transaction risk module 835. Inparticular, the operating system 815 may manage the data processingsystem's software and/or hardware resources and may coordinate executionof programs by the processor 800.

The authentication module 820 may be configured to process credentialsprovided by a shopper, for example, to authenticate the shopper'sidentity when making a purchase. In some embodiments, the credentialsmay include, but are not limited to, a user identification (e.g.,driver's license number, passport number, social security number), aphone number, an employee number, email address, home address, and aloyalty program account number. The credentials may, in furtherembodiments, include location information, such as GPS coordinate dataand/or location data based on triangulation techniques through awireless or cellular network, for example.

The shopper history module 825 may be configured to access a shopper'shistory with a particular retailer/merchandiser or across multipleretailers/merchandisers to determine attributes that may be indicativeof risk, such as, but not limited to, amount typically purchased,whether shopper provided a home address, whether the shopper hasparticipated in particular loyalty programs, whether the shopper returnsitems at a frequency higher than a typical shopper, whether the shopperfrequently expresses displeasure through surveys, message boards,forums, and the like, whether the shopper make purchases at atypicaltimes, e.g., late at night, and whether the shopper make purchases in avariety of geographic areas. The shopper history module 825 may generatean indication that the shopper is a known shopper based on the shopper'spurchase activity and behavior, which can be used to extend to theshopper a virtual card present status by a financial institution whenpayment is being made through a credit card or other type of bank card.The shopper history module 825 may also be configured to generate andmaintain a net score that is representative of the financial risk that aparticular shopper poses for a retailer, manufacturer, and/or financialinstitution that may be advancing funds for a purchase. As the shopperpurchases in positive patterns, the net score may be updated to reflecta lower financial risk whereas when the shopper purchases in negativepatterns, the net score may be updated to reflect a higher financialrisk.

The shopper payment method module 830 may be configured to associatecredentials provided by a shopper with payment methods. In particular, ashopper's credentials may be associated with a shopper's mobile device.The credentials may include, but are not limited to, a useridentification (e.g., driver's license number, passport number, socialsecurity number), a phone number, an employee number, email address,home address, and a loyalty program account number. For example, ashopper when registering with a loyalty program, for example, mayassociate a mobile device phone number with a loyalty program accountnumber. At the time purchase, the shopper may be authenticated by usinga mobile carrier's user authentication technology. Mobile paymentprocessors may tie a shopper's identity to a mobile device based on themobile device's SIM card, device identification, and location. A shoppermay initiate payment through a mobile payment application resident onthe mobile device, which uses a wireless network, such as a cellularnetwork and Signaling System 7 (SS7) network, to request payment througha mobile payment processor. The user may have multiple payment optionsavailable through the mobile payment processor including adding thecharge to the shopper's wireless bill issued by the shopper's mobilecarrier, a credit card account, debit card account, checking account, orthe like. To make a fraudulent purchase, a thief would need more than ashopper's phone number, but would need the shopper's actual mobiledevice to initiate a payment.

The transaction risk module 835 may be configured to cooperate with theshopper history module 825 to generate and maintain a net score that isrepresentative of the financial risk that a particular shopper poses fora retailer, manufacturer, and/or financial institution that may beadvancing funds for a purchase as described above. In some embodiments,the transaction risk module may analyze the contents of a shopper'sbasket to determine if the products or services being purchased tend toincrease the financial risk for a retailer, manufacturer, and/orfinancial institution. For example, in some embodiments, the contents ofa shopper's basket may be compared to historical purchases to determineif a current purchase is atypical, which may be indicative that theshopper is using a stolen credit card for example. Items such asmultiple pre-paid gift cards, alcohol, tobacco, and multiple instancesof the same electronic device are some examples of items that mayheighten the risk for retailers, manufacturers, and/or financialinstitutions. Based on an evaluation of the items/services beingpurchased by a shopper, the transaction risk module 835 may report analert to the retailer, manufacturer, and/or financial institution thatapproval of the present transaction may have a higher than normalfinancial risk associated therewith.

Although FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary hardware/software architecturesthat may be used in data processing systems, such as the data processingsystem 700 of FIG. 7, for providing payment services, it will beunderstood that the present invention is not limited to such aconfiguration but is intended to encompass any configuration capable ofcarrying out operations described herein. Moreover, the functionality ofthe data processing system 700 of FIG. 7 and the hardware/softwarearchitecture of FIG. 8 may be implemented as a single processor system,a multi-processor system, a multi-core processor system, a network ofstand-alone computer systems, or one or more virtual machines inaccordance with various embodiments.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of data processingsystems discussed above with respect to FIG. 8 may be written in ahigh-level programming language, such as Python, Java, C, and/or C++,for development convenience. In addition, computer program code forcarrying out operations of the present invention may also be written inother programming languages, such as, but not limited to, interpretedlanguages. Some modules or routines may be written in assembly languageor even micro-code to enhance performance and/or memory usage.Embodiments described herein, however, are not limited to any particularprogramming language. It will be further appreciated that thefunctionality of any or all of the program modules may also beimplemented using discrete hardware components, one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), or a programmed digital signalprocessor or microcontroller.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart that illustrates operations to enable virtual cardpresent status for a shopper based on purchase history according to someembodiments of the inventive subject matter. Operations begin at block900 where the DPN 420 receives credentials from a shopper through thePOS system 410, for example. As described above, the credentials mayinclude, but are not limited to, one or more of a user identification,home and/or mobile phone number, employee number, email address, homeaddress, and loyalty program account number. The credentials may becommunicated, for example, through an application on a shopper's mobiledevice 415 through scanning, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology,short range wireless technology, such as Bluetooth technology, or othersuitable manner. The credentials may also be communicated by a cardincluding a bar code that can be scanned at the POS system 410 ormanually entered in to the POS system 410 by the shopper or checkoutattendant. In some embodiments, the credentials may further include anidentification of the POS system 410 terminal through which the purchaseis initiated at a merchant and/or geolocation data or information forthe shopper's mobile device 415, for example.

The DPN 420 and/or the payment system 425 may evaluate the history ofpurchases by the shopper from this merchant at block 910. In evaluatingthe history of purchases, factors such as how long the shopper hasparticipated in a loyalty program with the merchant, the monetaryamounts for past and the current purchase, whether the shopper hasreturned items previously purchased and, if applicable, at whatfrequency does the shopper return purchased items, does the shopper makepurchases at atypical times and is the present purchase being made at atime that deviates from a typical purchase by the shopper, has theshopper provided the merchant, DPN 420, and/or payment system 425, witha home address, does the shopper express displeasure or praise for themerchant and/or products/services sold by the merchant through socialmedia outlets, such as, but not limited to, message boards, surveys,forums, and the like. In some embodiments, the DPN 420 and/or thepayment system 425 may include shopper history information from othermerchants in addition to the merchant associated with the presentpurchase transaction. The DPN 420 and/or the payment system 425 may, insome embodiments, assign greater weight to the shopper's history withthe present merchant than with other merchants and/or may assign weightsto merchant history information based on similarity of other merchantsto the present merchant.

Based on the evaluation of the shopper's history, the DPN 420 and/or thepayment system 425 may determine that the shopper is entitled to avirtual card present status at block 920, which allows for morefavorable credit terms than when the shopper does not have the creditinstrument present when making the purchase transaction. The paymentsystem 425 may send a payment authorization request to the financialinstitution represented as the credit issuer 445 in FIG. 4 indicatingthat the shopper is entitled to virtual card present status based on theshopper's previous purchasing history at block 930.

FIGS. 10-11 are flowcharts that illustrate operations for generating arisk score for a shopper based on purchase history according to someembodiments of the inventive subject matter. Operations begin at block1000 where the DPN 420 receives credentials from a shopper through thePOS system 410, for example. As described above, the credentials mayinclude, but are not limited to, one or more of a user identification,home and/or mobile phone number, employee number, email address, homeaddress, and loyalty program account number. The credentials may becommunicated, for example, through an application on a shopper's mobiledevice 415 through scanning, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology,short range wireless technology, such as Bluetooth technology, or othersuitable manner. The credentials may also be communicated by a cardincluding a bar code that can be scanned at the POS system 410 ormanually entered in to the POS system 410 by the shopper or checkoutattendant. In some embodiments, the credentials may further include anidentification of the POS system 410 terminal through which the purchaseis initiated at a merchant and/or geolocation data or information forthe shopper's mobile device 415, for example.

Based on the credentials provided by the shopper, the DPN 420 and/or thepayment system 425 may determine that the shopper is registered withmultiple loyalty programs spanning multiple merchants based on theregistration information for the multiple loyalty programs sharing oneor more common pieces of information. For example, the common piece ofinformation may be an email address, home or mobile phone number, homeaddress, and/or home address.

The DPN 420 and/or the payment system 425 may evaluate the history ofpurchases by the shopper from the multiple merchants for which the DPN420 and/or the payment system 425 has purchase history data at block1010. In evaluating the history of purchases, factors such as how longthe shopper has participated in a loyalty program with the merchant, themonetary amounts for past and the current purchase, whether the shopperhas returned items previously purchased and, if applicable, at whatfrequency does the shopper return purchased items, does the shopper makepurchases at atypical times and is the present purchase being made at atime that deviates from a typical purchase by the shopper, has theshopper provided the merchant, DPN 420, and/or payment system 425, witha home address, does the shopper express displeasure or praise for themerchant and/or products/services sold by the merchant through socialmedia outlets, such as, but not limited to, message boards, surveys,forums, and the like. In some embodiments, the DPN 420 and/or thepayment system 425 may include shopper history information from othermerchants in addition to the merchant associated with the presentpurchase transaction. The DPN 420 and/or the payment system 425 may, insome embodiments, assign greater weight to the shopper's history withthe present merchant than with other merchants and/or may assign weightsto merchant history information based on similarity of other merchantsto the present merchant.

Based on the evaluation of the shopper's history, the DPN 420 and/or thepayment system 425 may generate a financial risk score for the shopperbased on the evaluation of the shopper's history with the variousmerchants and the current purchase by the shopper with the presentmerchant at block 1020. The financial risk score may be represented in avariety of ways in accordance with various embodiments of the inventivesubject matter. A risk number may be assigned, a risk grade may beassigned, a description of what risks the merchant/financial institutionmay be undertaking may be provided, and/or other suitable expression ofrisk that may be useful to a merchant and/or financial institution

Referring now to FIG. 11, the DPN 420 and/or the payment system 425 maygenerate the financial risk score to indicate an increased financialrisk when the purchase deviates from the history or purchases by theshopper by having attributes that are indicative of an increasedfinancial risk at block 1100. The DPN 420 and/or the payment system 425may generate the financial risk score to indicate a reduced financialrisk when the purchase deviates from the history or purchases by theshopper by having attributes that are indicative of a reduced financialrisk at block 1110. Attributes that are indicative of an increasedfinancial risk may include, but are not limited to, the purchases ofmultiple pre-paid debit/gift cards, purchase of alcohol products,purchase of tobacco products, purchases of multiple instances of thesame electronic item, purchase initiated after a particular time of day,e.g., after 10:00 PM, and/or a purchase made from a new or unexpectedgeographic location, which may be based on a previous purchase, e.g.,purchase initiated from different parts of the country that are a longdistance from each other only a short time apart.

The financial risk score may be reported to the current merchant fromwhom the shopper is making a purchase, other merchants, and/or financialinstitution(s). These entities may consider the financial risk scorewhen determining whether to authorize the present or future purchases.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousaspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularaspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an,” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or”includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associatedlisted items. Like reference numbers signify like elements throughoutthe description of the figures.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of anymeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any disclosed structure, material, or act for performing thefunction in combination with other claimed elements as specificallyclaimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to beexhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of thedisclosure. The aspects of the disclosure herein were chosen anddescribed in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure andthe practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in theart to understand the disclosure with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated.

That which is claimed:
 1. A method comprising: using at least oneprocessor and a memory coupled thereto for wirelessly communicating witha point-of-sale (POS) terminal to receive credentials from a shopperhaving a payment instrument associated therewith, the credentials beingassociated with a purchase from a merchant and being wirelesslycommunicated, via a short-range wireless communications protocol, from amobile wireless communications device associated with the shopper viathe POS terminal, determining whether the mobile wireless communicationsdevice is adjacent to the POS terminal based upon the wirelesscommunication of the credentials, evaluating a history of purchases bythe shopper from the merchant by at least: (a) obtaining at least onesocial media content posting of the shopper relating to the merchant anddetermining whether the shopper has expressed one of praise ordispleasure for the merchant based upon the social media contentposting; and (b) determining whether the shopper returns itemspreviously purchased at a higher frequency relative to other shoppers,determining that the shopper is entitled to virtual card present statusfrom a financial institution associated with the payment instrumentbased upon the history of purchases, the virtual card present statuspermitting the shopper to complete the purchase at the POS terminal at alocation of the merchant without physically presenting the paymentinstrument, and the shopper having to physically present the paymentinstrument at the POS terminal to complete the transaction without thevirtual card present status, sending a payment authorization requestmessage for the purchase to the financial institution that comprises anindication that the shopper is entitled to the virtual card presentstatus, and cooperating with the POS terminal to permit the shopper tocomplete the transaction without physically presenting the paymentinstrument based upon receipt of a payment authorization message fromthe financial institution for the purchase and the mobile wirelesscommunications device being adjacent the POS terminal.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the credentials comprise a loyalty program accountidentification.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the historyof purchases comprises determining how long the shopper has participatedin a loyalty program with the merchant.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprises determiningmonetary transaction amounts for prior purchases.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprises determining thetimes of day prior purchases were made.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprises determiningwhether a home address is available for the shopper.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprisesevaluating a history of purchases by the shopper from a plurality ofmerchants.
 8. A system comprising: a mobile wireless communicationsdevice associated with a shopper and configured to wirelesslycommunicate credentials via a short-range wireless communicationsprotocol the credentials being associated with a purchase from amerchant, and the shopper having a payment instrument associatedtherewith; a point-of-sale (POS) terminal at a location of the merchant;and a virtual card status server comprising at least one processor and amemory coupled to the at least one processor, said at least oneprocessor configured to cooperate with said POS terminal to receive thecredentials from the shopper communicated from said mobile wirelesscommunications device, determine whether the mobile wirelesscommunications device is adjacent to said POS terminal based upon thewireless communication of the credentials, evaluate a history ofpurchases by the shopper from the merchant by at least: (a) obtaining atleast one social media content posting of the shopper relating to themerchant and determining whether the shopper has expressed one of praiseor displeasure for the merchant based upon the social media contentposting, and (b) determining whether the shopper returns itemspreviously purchased at a higher frequency relative to other shoppers,determine that the shopper is entitled to virtual card present statusfrom a financial institution associated with the payment instrumentbased upon the history of purchases, the virtual card present statuspermitting the shopper to complete the purchase at said terminal at thelocation of the merchant without physically presenting the paymentinstrument, and the shopper having to physically present the paymentinstrument at said POS terminal to complete the transaction without thevirtual card present status, send a payment authorization requestmessage for the purchase to the financial institution that comprises anindication that the shopper is entitled to virtual card present status,and cooperate with said POS terminal to permit the shopper to completethe transaction without physically presenting the payment instrumentbased upon receipt of a payment authorization message from the financialinstitution for the purchase and said mobile wireless communicationsdevice being adjacent the POS terminal.
 9. The system of claim 8,wherein the credentials comprise a loyalty program accountidentification.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein evaluating thehistory of purchases comprises determining how long the shopper hasparticipated in a loyalty program with the merchant.
 11. The system ofclaim 8, wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprisesdetermining monetary transaction amounts for prior purchases.
 12. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprisesdetermining the times of day prior purchases were made.
 13. The systemof claim 8, wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprisesdetermining whether a home address is available for the shopper.
 14. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprisesevaluating a history of purchases by the shopper from a plurality ofmerchants.
 15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprisingcomputer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executedby a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:cooperating with a point-of-sale (POS) terminal to receive credentialsfrom a shopper having a payment instrument associated therewith, thecredentials being associated with a purchase from a merchant and beingwirelessly communicated, via a short-range wireless communicationsprotocol, from a mobile wireless communications device associated withthe shopper via the POS terminal; determining whether the mobilewireless communications device is adjacent to the POS terminal basedupon the wireless communication of the credentials; evaluating a historyof purchases by the shopper from the merchant by at least: (a) obtainingat least one social media content posting of the shopper relating to themerchant and determining whether the shopper has expressed one of praiseor displeasure for the merchant based upon the social media contentposting, and (b) determining whether the shopper returns itemspreviously purchased at a higher frequency relative to other shoppers;determining that the shopper is entitled to virtual card present statusfrom a financial institution associated with the payment instrumentbased upon the history of purchases, the virtual card present statuspermitting the shopper to complete the purchase at the POS terminal at alocation of the merchant without physically presenting the paymentinstrument, and the shopper having to physically present the paymentinstrument at the POS terminal to complete the transaction without thevirtual card present status; sending a payment authorization requestmessage for the purchase to the financial institution that comprises anindication that the shopper is entitled to virtual card present status;and cooperating with the POS terminal to permit the shopper to completethe transaction without physically presenting the payment instrumentbased upon receipt of a payment authorization message from the financialinstitution for the purchase and the mobile wireless communicationsdevice being adjacent the POS terminal.
 16. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 15, wherein the credentials comprise a loyaltyprogram account identification.
 17. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 15, wherein evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining how long the shopper has participated in a loyaltyprogram with the merchant.
 18. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 15, wherein evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining monetary transaction amounts for prior purchases.19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, whereinevaluating the history of purchases comprises determining the times ofday prior purchases were made.
 20. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 15, wherein evaluating the history of purchasescomprises determining whether a home address is available for theshopper.
 21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15,wherein evaluating the history of purchases comprises evaluating ahistory of purchases by the shopper from a plurality of merchants.